Process of burning hydrocarbons



(No Model.) .J SGHINNELLBR 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

PROCESS OF BURNING HYDROGARBONS.

No. 417,342. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

n PETERS. PhfllwLilhogmphcr. Washingtunfll. c.

2 t e e h S .w e e h S 2 R E L E N N I H O S TIU m d o M 0 m PROCESS OFBURNING HYDROGARBONS.

Patented Dec. 1'7, 1889 N FETERS. PholoUlhogrlphur. Washington. D. C.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB SOHINNELLER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF BURNING HYDROCARBONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,342, dated December17, 1889.

Application filed December 19, 1888. Serial No. 294,072. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB SCHINNELLER, a resident of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in the Process of Burning Hydrocarbons; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear,v

and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the burning of oil and like light hydrocarbonsin metallurgical and other furnaces, its object being to so interminglethe oil-vapor and air and to heat the same before combustion that apractically perfect combustion of the said hydrocarbons is obtained inthe furnace.

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, in dropping theoil upon a body or mass of heated balls orlumps of refractory materialand drawing air through said refractory material and so interminglingthe oil-vapor and air and burning it under said mass of refractorymaterial.

It also consists, in connection with the same process, in bringing thesaid balls or blocks of refractory material exposed to the heat at thedelivery end of said mass to the entrance end thereof, upon which theoil is dropped, whereby the heat of themass of refractory material ismaintained and the oil can be vaporized practically as soon as it comesin contact with said refractory material.

To enable others skilled in the art to prac tice my invention, I willdescribe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the most approved form offurnace employed in carrying out the same. Fig. 2 is a rear viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 0300, Fig. 1; and Figsetand5 showother forms of furnace suitable for the purpose.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

In the construction of apparatus best suited for practicing my saidinvention, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it is shown as appliedto a pudcllin g or heating furnace a, said furnace having the stack orchimney b, which leads to such a height or through such a length of fine(when a single chimney is employed for a number of furnaces) that acontinual draft can be maintained through the furnace, and in that waythe oil-vapor and air can be drawn into the entrance end thereof, so asto be burned at the entrance end of and within the furnace-chamber. ,Theentrance end of the furnace is formed of a series of combustion-fines c,which extend longitudinally of the furnace and communicate wit-h thechamber at, these flues being formed of brick or tile and having at theend thereof an air-blast inlet d, which, in the construction preferred,extends the entire length of the said series of combustion-fines c, andis controlled by a suitable valve d, so as to regulate the amount of airfed to said combustion-fines. Extending above said combustion-fiues c isthe casing c, which is preferably lined with firebrick, so forming achamber f, which is open at the upper or entrance and lower or deliveryends thereof, and is filled with a mass composed of balls, blocks, orlumps of fire-brick or other refractory material, the preferred formused being a series of balls of fire-brick within said chamber f, asshown at g. I prefer to employ these refractory balls for the reasonthat they provide for the change in the position of the ballswithoutgreat labor, as by opening the lower part of the chamber f theballs can be withdrawn therefrom, said chamber having the outlet-port f,which is closed by a block or blocks f and said opening being in linewith the platform i, so that when said blocks f are withdrawn the ballscan roll through said port f onto the platform and can be shoveled inthe open upper end of the chamber f, provision being thus made for thechanging of the position of the balls and the bringing of the ballsexposed to the high heat generated in the combustion-fines to the upperor entrance end of the chamber f. Ar ranged above the upper open end ofthe chamber f is the oil-supply pipe h, controlled by a suitable valve71 This pipe It has suitable perforations or openings therein, whichpermit of the dropping or spraying of the oil directly upon the saidfire-balls, so that the oil dropping or being sprayed upon the upperthrough the refractory material in said chamberf and thence into thecombustion-chamber. As the upper end of the chamber fis open, the airwill be drawn in through said opening, thus providing part of the airnecessary for combustion, and part of the air will be supplied by theair-inlet (Z communicating with the combustion-fines. In order, however,to provide for the regulation of the sup ply of air to and the properintermingling thereof with the oil-vapor, I have formed along the sidesof the chamber f a series of flues m, which extend through the brick?work of said chamber and communicate with the valves 7r, said valvesbeing mounted in suit-able seats in the casing e, which is provided withsuitable bearings for the same. The said valves 7; are preferablyhorizontal valves, having at each end seats or journals,

and at certain points therein enlarged cylindrical portions to hold themin line and prevent the warping thereof under the high heat,

and between said bearings and said enlarged portions the valves beingformed flat, as shown at Zthat is, of such shape that when turned in oneposition they close the openings or inlets entirely, and when turned atright angles thereto leave the inlets practically open+the valve beingadjusted to any position between these two, according to the amount ofair to be fed to the oil-vapors in the chamber f. The said valves havethe angular ends 76, by which they can be turned and adjusted asdesired. As the oil-supply pipe h, especially the part thereof havingthe perforations therein, is liable to become gummed or filled with thethicker or heavier portion of the oil, and there is therefore liabilityof the perforations being stopped or clogged, I arrange within thisportion of the pipe containing said perforations the spiral cleaner orscraper n, which corresponds in diameter to the internal diameter of thepipe, and has a handle a extending through a stuffing-box at the end ofthe pipe, thus providing for the turning of the scraper or within thepipe and the freeing or loosening of any gummy matter therein. In orderto further provide for the removal of such materials, I also connectwith said pipe 71v asteam-pipe p, which will furnish steam to said pipeand assistin the vaporization of said heavy gummy material and thedriving of the same out of the pipe, so that I am enabled to maintainthe pipe in proper condition for work, and to give a free escape to saidpipe h when itis cleaned the end 713 thereof is formed open. andprovided with a valve 71', which may be opened during the cleaningoperation.

In employing my invention with the said form of apparatus it may beapplied, as before stated, to any suitable furnace, whether formetallurgic, boiler, or other heating purposes, and the oil or otherlike light hydrocarbons are forced under pressure either from anaccumulator or by gravity from a tank anddropped or sprayed through theperforais burned, the combustion being supported by the air intermingledtherewith, the products of combustion passing through the chamber a, andthence upwardly through the stack b, and this being continued until apositive draft is obtained through the stack and the lower part of themass of tire-clay balls is raised to a high heat, when the oil isvaporized by said heated refractory balls, and it is intermingled in theinterstices between the balls with the air entering through said valvesor inlets, so that when the furnace is all ready for proper practicalwork a proper intermingling of the oil-vapor and the air to formcombustion in the flues is obtained. The burning of the oil-vapor insaid fines heats the whole mass of fire-clay balls, but especially heatsthe lower part thereof, and, as it is desired to maintain said mass ofrefractory balls at a high heat, at intervals during the burning of saidmaterials, by opening the ports f, the fire-clay balls may be withdrawnfrom the lower part of the said chamber and these highly-heated balls beintroduced in the upper part of the same, as above described, so i thatthe oil will drop directly upon the highlyheated balls and be vaporizedas soon as it enters the chamber and a more proper mixing of the Oil forcombustion be thus obtained, the mass of balls being not only held at ahigh heat, but at the same time the balls upon which the oil drops andupon which the heavier particles of the hydrocarbon settle are thusbrought to the lower part of the chamber f, where they are directlyexposed to the high heat generated in the combustionfiues, and any suchsettlement of tar or other heavy hydrocarbon thereon can be burned fromthe same and utilized for maintaining combustion in the furnace.

During the operation of the furnace the several valves (1 or 70 may beregulated in such way as to provide for the proper mixing of the air andoil-vapors and the burning of the same in the combustion -fiues, and aproper regulation for such vapors can be ob tained according as acarbonizing, decarbonizing, or neutral flame is desired. In case theoil-supply pipe h should become clogged, V

as above described, all that is necessary is to turn the spiral cleanern'within the same, which will free practically all the gummy mass fromcontact with the pipe and the openings therein, and, in case it isnecessary to discharge such heavy or gummy materials, by opening thevalve h closing the valve 7%, and opening the valve of the steam-pipe p,

such materials will be vaporized and the pipe cleaned by the steam.

In Fig. 4 I have shown another form of apparatus suitable for practicingmy invention, which is practically the same as that shown in Figs. 1, 2,and 3, except that the casing 6 containing the balls or blocks ofrefractory material is mounted on suitable j ournals, the point of journaling said casing being.

indicated by dotted lines, as at r, and said casing, which is suitablylined, has formed therein the chamber f, having communicating therewiththe air-inlets m, controlled by the valves 7;, as above described. Saidcasing is arranged to be turned on said journals so as to bring the massof refractory material in the lower part thereof, and which has beenhighly heated by direct contact with the flame and heat generated in thecombustionflue c, to the upper end of said chamber, upon which the oilis dropped, and in this way to provide for the vaporization of the oilas soon as it comes in contact with said refractory material. At thesame time, by bringing the refractory material which was in the upperend of said chamber to the lower end thereof, I am enabled to reheat thesame and to carry the material upon which any coating of heavyhydrocarbon has been deposited directly into contact with the high heatof the combustion-chamber, so that any such deposit.- will be burnedfrom the refractory material and all the carbon or hydrocarbons thereinconsumed. In order to hold the mass of fire-clay balls or lumps withinsaid chamber f, where it is arranged as shown in Fig. l, I employ whatmight be termed a fire-clay grating, as shown at stha-t is to say, Iclose the ends of thechamber by means of an openwork grating of propermaterial to stand the heat and at the same time to confine the mass ofmaterial within said chamber. Such grating may be formed of a series offire-clay balls, which are cast together and united, leaving suitableopenings for the passage of the air and oil-vapors through the same; orit may be formed of checker-work or any such like proper constructionwhich will. provide within the chamber for the passage of the oil-vaporsfrom the upper to the lower end thereof and the mixing or interminglingof the air therewith during the time that the oil-vapors or the oil in aliquid state, if it has not been vaporized, shall be passing through theinterstices or openings between the balls, lumps, or blocks ofrefractory material.

The operation of this apparatus in practicing my invention ispractically the same as described in connection with the other figures,difierin g only in that, instead of withdrawing part of the refractorymaterial at the lower end and introducing it at the upper end of thesaid chamber, in order to bring the material exposed to the heat at suchlower or delivery end to the entrance end of the cham her, the casing issimply rotated on its axis or journal and the heated balls or blocks atthe lower end brought to the upper end thereof, so that the oil can dropdirectly upon said oil-heated blocks, and the said chamber f is rotatedat intervals, according as found best for the proper vaporization andcombustion of the oil.

In Fig. 5 is shown another form of furnace suitable for practicing myinvention, in which the combustion-fines o are formed of the mass offire-clay balls or lumps. Said mass of balls extend down so as to fill apocket t, forming the lower part of the chamber f, and the initialcombustion is formed within said mass, the complete combustion beingobtained in the furnace-chamber a. To change the position of the balls,ports in the side walls, as shown in dotted lines, are formed in thepart of the pocket 15 nearest the furnace-chamber a, and the heatedballs can be withdrawn through these ports and introduced at theentrance end of the chamber f.

By my invention I am enabled to provide for the proper vaporization ofthe oil as it comes directly from the tank or accumulator, the intermingling of the air in proper quantities to support combustiontherewith, and

the regulating of the combustion from saidintermingled oil-vapor andair, and this with out the employment of steam for vaporizationpurposes, and by means of a simple apparatus which can be operated byunskilled labor, occupies practically no room, and can be constructed ata low cost.

No claim is made herein for the apparatus described in thisspecification, that forming the subject-matter of a separate applicationfiled April 19, 1889, Serial No. 307,665.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described process of burning oil or other hydrocarbons,consisting in dropping the oil upon a mass of heated balls or lumps ofrefractory material and drawing air through said refractory material, sointermingling the oil-vapor and air and passing the same from andburning it at the lower or delivery end of said mass, substantially asand for the purposes set forth. t

2. The herein-described process of burning oil or other hydrocarbons,consisting in dropping the oil upon a mass of heated balls or lumps ofrefractory material and drawing air through said refractory material, sointermingling the oil-vapor and air and burning the sameat the lower ordelivery end of said mass, and at intervals bringing the refractorymaterials exposed to the heat at the delivery end of said mass to theentrance end thereof, upon'which the oil is dropped, substantially asand for the purposes set forth. In testimony whereof I, the said JACOBSCHINNELLER, have hereunto set my hand.

JACOB SCI-IINNELLER.

Witnesses:

J. N. CooKn, RoBT. D. TOTTEN.

IIO

